Ireland’s women cricketers completed a historic series victory over Sri Lanka by winning the second game of the ICC World ODI Championship at Stormont yesterday.
It was their third win in a week against the Asian Cup champions – and each achieved with a different captain in charge.
Last Monday, Laura Delany led her side to a series-levelling win in the T20s, but suffered a foot injury which ruled her out for the rest of the tour.
On Friday, Gaby Lewis took over for the first ODI win, but a quad strain has laid her low for the remainder.
Yesterday, the hero of that victory, Orla Prendergast, stepped up and took charge for the very first time and led them to a second win over the ODI No.5-ranked side.
It puts 20 points in the World Championship bag with power to add in the final game tomorrow.
The visitors won the toss and asked Ireland to bat, removing Sarah Forbes in the sixth over for two. ODI debutant Christina Coulter Reilly looked at ease in this company and hit four boundaries in an impressive 24.
Prendergast came in to join Amy Hunter but only made nine, with supporters starting to mutter about Ireland’s chances shrinking in the absence of Lewis.
But Hunter is a battling cricketer, and was joined by another in Leah Paul. The pair added 57 before the Belfast native was dismissed for 66 in the 31st over.
The arrival of Rebecca Stokell pitched together two Merrion club players and great friends.
They may have been mourning their men’s side’s All-Ireland final defeat by one run the day before, but there was little sign of it as they set about building a winning total.
They set a new Ireland fifth wicket partnership record of 114, with Paul making 81 off 100 balls before she was stumped in the last over, and Stokell an unbeaten 53.
‘I find myself in a new role in the middle order,’ said player-of-the-match Paul, ‘So I set about building a partnership with Amy, who’s very positive. Then I batted with my great friend Reb, who’s very calming. We know each other’s game very well and we had a bit of fun to calm the nerves.’
The pair saw Ireland to 255-5, a total Prendergast said she was happy with.
Sri Lanka lost Friday’s centurion Guneratne for two, but the key wicket was that of Chamari Athapaththu who fell to a sharp catch by Freya Sargent off Jane Maguire, to make the score 46-2.
It took more than 25 overs and 126 runs for Ireland to capture the next wicket, with Harshitha Samarawickrama making an excellent century before she was run out by Hunter.
Her side had looked in total control, but her departure led to panic in the Tigresses’ ranks.
Sargent snapped up Perera (53) two balls later as the middle order collapsed to sharp fielding and excellent catching.
With nine wickets down and 42 needed, Nilakshika Silva smacked some boundaries, but Prendergast and Arlene Kelly kept their nerve and captured the last wicket with 15 runs to spare.
‘It was such a tight game throughout’, said Prendergast, ‘but we stuck at it and came out with the win.
‘We had two very young spinners bowling for most of the big partnership, and they challenged them the whole time. We knew one wicket and we would be back in the game.’
The Pembroke all-rounder relished her first taste of leadership: ‘I really enjoyed the experience, the different challenges.’